Tradition – An Evolving Continuum

Vidyasankar, a composer, vocalist, and accomplished performer on the chitravina (a 20-stringed slide instrument), will produce a concert that explores the evolving continuum of South Indian musical lineage. The program will feature a group of United States–based Carnatic (South Indian) musicians, and will include traditional repertoire as well as a new composition by Vidyasankar. Collaborating with Vidyasankar will be Texas-based percussionist Poovalur Srinivasan, who hails from a preeminent line of mridangam (South Indian double-headed drum) players. Other guest artists include Anuradha Sridhar (violin); Nirmala Rajasekhar (vina, a fretted string instrument); Prasant Radhakrishnan (saxophone); Raman Kalyan (Indian bamboo flute); N. Muralikrishnan (electronic synthesizer); Ravi Balasubramaniam (ghatam, a clay pot); and Akshay Anantapadmanabhan (konnakkol, rhythmic vocalization and kanjira, Indian tambourine). The concert will be presented by Sruti at the Painted Bride Art Center, and broadcast live on the web.

Additional unrestricted funds are added to each grant for general operating support.